53 ft Dry Van
We offer thisBoxed, palletized or floor-loaded goods that need protection from weather. The most common trailer in the US.
- Inside length
- About 52.5 ft
- Pallets
- 26 standard pallets
- Max cargo
- About 42,000–45,000 lbs
What each common truck and trailer looks like, what it carries, and how much fits.
Cosmos Dispatch arranges these three across the US and Canada. Pick one to get a quote with it already selected.
Boxed, palletized or floor-loaded goods that need protection from weather. The most common trailer in the US.
Produce, frozen and chilled packaged food, dairy and beverages that must stay cold.
Steel, lumber, pipe, machinery and building materials loaded from the side or top by forklift or crane.
Taller freight that would be over height on a flatbed, such as machinery and equipment.
You have the trailer and need a truck and driver to pull it, such as moving your own trailers between sites.
Common types we don't book, explained so you know which one fits your freight.
Flatbed freight that also needs weather protection. A rolling tarp slides open for side or top loading.
Heavy equipment like excavators and bulldozers. The front detaches so machines can drive on.
Smaller local deliveries. Often has a liftgate for places without a loading dock.
Small, urgent flatbed loads, pulled by a heavy-duty pickup truck.
Liquids and gases such as fuel, chemicals, milk and other food-grade liquids.
Ocean containers moving between terminals and warehouses (drayage). The container rides on a wheeled frame called a chassis.
A 53 ft trailer holds about 40% more than a 40 ft high cube container. That's why import freight is often transloaded: roughly three 40 ft containers fit into two 53 ft trailers.
| Unit | Inside length | Volume | Standard pallets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft container | About 19.4 ft | About 1,170 cu ft | About 10 |
| 40 ft container | About 39.5 ft | About 2,390 cu ft | About 20 |
| 40 ft high cube | About 39.5 ft (1 ft taller) | About 2,690 cu ft | About 20 |
| 53 ft dry van | About 52.5 ft | About 3,800–4,000 cu ft | 26 |
Typical figures. Pallet counts assume standard 48 × 40 inch pallets, single-stacked. Exact sizes vary by manufacturer.